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by Minister of Information JR Valrey, SF Bay View Oakland Bureau
On Jan. 5, 2022, the City of Berkeley’s Police Accountability Board had a special meeting on investigating police misconduct in the death of international rapper Zumbi of Zion I, aka Stephen Gaines.
Although Zumbi was killed on Aug. 13, 2021, the City of Berkeley seems to just be realizing that no matter how long they stall, we the public still have our eyes fixed on the outcome of all of the investigations surrounding the murder of Zumbi.
We are beyond five months into the Berkeley Police Department’s investigation, and hospital footage and police body cam footage still have not been released. The Berkeley Police refuse to turn over evidence gained from interviews with people on the scene of the murder. The legal team representing the family of Zumbi still has not received the official autopsy report.
And, to add insult to injury, the Berkeley Police are not making any recommendations for prosecution, virtually allowing the security staff responsible for the murder to walk, effectively disregarding the misuse of force which resulted in Stephen “Zumbi” Gaines being murdered.
Below is an excerpt of the speech given by Elizabeth Grossman, the lead attorney representing the family of Stephen “Zumbi” Gaines, to the City of Berkeley’s Police Accountability Board at the special meeting held via Zoom on Jan. 5 on the murder case of Stephen “Zumbi” Gaines.
“We know that there are videos that the hospital took that we have not been allowed to see. There is body cam [footage] as the police stepped out of the elevator on the fourth floor of Alta Bates. We have not been allowed that.
“[We] did meet with two homicide investigators from the Berkeley Police Department very early on. And they were very reluctant and said that they could not share with us the information on what interviews that they were doing.
“We think that this is a situation where law enforcement is not explicitly the one who used force, but in their interpretation of what occurred, they are giving others a potential pass on horrible misconduct. We absolutely, from what we know, think that this is a case of positional asphyxiation, not unlike other very significant cases that we all have been aware of in the last year.
“And, if our local law enforcement, similar to other police departments throughout the country, are disregarding positional asphyxiation and the abuse of force by others and not calling such action a homicide, I think that that is something that we would be very concerned about – that the police department is not making a recommendation for prosecution.
“The coroner’s report has never been released to us. We are five months into this; he died on Aug. 13, and we don’t have an autopsy report to review.
“Many of you might be aware of the article in the New York Times about a month and a half ago that was talking about what occurs across the country in terms of law enforcement mischaracterizing positional asphyxiation based on the race of the person who is killed as just an unknown cause of death.
“But the police department is very much involved in the coroner’s investigation. They attended. They consult with them. And how this thing will be characterized is of grave concern. If the police department is not characterizing conduct as a violation of use of force, then we have a problem.”
As the information on the murder of Zumbi of Zion I aka Stephen Gaines comes to light, we will be covering it at blacknewworldmedia.com. So stay tuned.
Official statement from Carolyn Gaines, mother of Zumbi
Stephen Gaines, best known as Zumbi of Zion I, was my son.
These last six months of living his loss daily have been the most painful experience of my life.
His one of a kind beauty lives on in his words and love of his sons which has made each of them amazing beings.
I am dedicated to seeking justice for his killing.
My son did not die from COVID.
My son did not die from a heart attack.
We are waiting for the Berkeley police to complete their homicide investigation. They say their delay is caused by not having a completed coroner’s report. I beg the officials to complete their official duties.
I pray that as soon as the Alameda County district attorney reviews the evidence that they will prosecute Alta Bates, Allied Universal and their employees for killing my beautiful son.
We ask for your consideration and understanding as this process moves forward.
There will be a time for thoughtful, peaceful and considered action from the community. For now, we seek your respect, support and understanding as we grieve and seek answers.
The family asks that you share information or concerns with our attorneys, Elizabeth Grossman and Lyn Agre, who are seeking justice with our blessing and on our behalf. They can be reached at 510-548-5106 or office@elizabethgrossmanlaw.com.
Please know that as information becomes available, we will share the details as we get them.
Peace and Blessings.
Carolyn Gaines
SF Bay View Oakland Bureau Chief JR Valrey, journalist, author, filmmaker and founder of the Black New World Journalists Society, can be reached at blockreportradio@gmail.com or on Facebook. Visit www.youtube.com/blockreporttv. Check out JR’s work at blacknewworldmedia.com.
